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2015 SGFA Cup Final
The 2015 SGFA Cup Final was the 35th edition of the final of the SGFA Cup, the main domestic knockout cup competition in Gregorian football. The match was contested on June 6, 2015 between FC Chapman and Banks City at the National Cricket Ground in Warner Bay. FC Chapman won 3-2 in extra time on a goal by substitute midfielder Jeremy Budd, after the match had finished 2-2 at the end of normal time. Build-up It would be the second meeting in an SGFA Cup Final between FC Chapman and Banks City. The first occurred in 1996 when City won 1-0 to deny Chapman a league and cup double, something Chapman were also attempting to achieve in this match. Chapman were making their 8th appearance in the SGFA Cup Final, tied with Bonneville United for most in the history of the competition. They had previously won 5, also then a joint record with United, and returned as defending champions after defeating Port St. Christopher Pirates 2-1 in the 2014 final. They were the first defending champion to return to the final since Midland International in 2011, and were seeking to become the first team to successfully defend their title since New Castle in 1990. Victory for Chapman will also see them become the first team in SGFA history to successfully defend a league and cup double. City were appearing in the final for the third time, and the first since 2012. After being relegated from League A the previous season, they were seeking to become the first club outside of the top flight to win the SGFA Cup (although they had secured an immediate return to League A after finishing as champions of the 2014-15 League B season). Match summary The match was played at 1:30pm local time (12:30pm AEST), two and a half hours ahead of the usual 4pm kick-off time for SGFA Cup finals, to avoid conflicting with the UEFA Champions League Final. This meant the match would be played in the heat of a Gregorian summer day, with the recorded temperature at 89°F at kick-off. The match officials permitted two water breaks, one during each of the halves. 'First half' The opening 20 minutes were played at a steady pace, with neither team able to produce a genuine chance to score. Just after the midway point of the first half, Chapman were first to test their opponent's goalkeeper, when Colton Seal was forced to make an athletic save to parry away a close-range attempt by Kane O'Bray. 'Second half' In the final minute of normal time, City appeared to have won the match when Joaquín Webster broke free on a counter-attack and beat the tiring Chapman backline, chipping the ball over Stocklasa and scoring to make it 2-1. But Chapman, in desperation mode now, immediately went back on the attack. Halfway through the allotted four minutes of second-half stoppage time, Raúl Tobar – who had been moved out to the wing with Pfahl's departure – floated a cross into the box which Mark Ramakers connected with a diving header to level the scores and force extra time. 'Extra time' Chapman dominated the first half of extra time, with O'Bray and Ramakers both having chances to score that were comfortably saved by Seal. Five minutes into the second half of extra time, a one-two play between Little and O'Bray allowed the former to find Budd, who had made a run in behind the defense. Little's perfectly-timed ball found the 21 year-old, who finished from six yards out. After the goal, Frame substituted defender Steven Ketchmark for Tobar as Chapman dug in to preserve the victory. Winchester had City's best chance at an equalizer in the final minute, but shot wide. Webster also had a long-range attempt that was well over the bar, and the match ended following a cleared City corner as Chapman became the first club in SGFA history to win back-to-back league and cup doubles. Match details Ramakers Budd |goals2 = Winchester Webster |aet = yes|referee = Michael Orr|attendance = 55,356}} Category:Match pages Category:FC Chapman matches Category:Banks City F.C. matches Category:2014-15 in Gregorian football